Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Ageing. Could the minister please inform the House of the government response to community concerns about quality in Australia’s 2,870 aged-care facilities?

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Page for her question. The Department of Health and Ageing oversees more than 2,870 accredited nursing homes right across Australia. It is an honour and a privilege to care for and protect our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, the frail and the aged. As minister, I have met with residents and providers and visited aged-care facilities in all states and territories to get firsthand knowledge. One thing has become very clear: for the last 12 years, the previous government neglected the concerns of residents and their families. Shortly after becoming minister, I asked the department to review ways to improve aged care. On 21 February, I announced changes in the area of police checks. I have asked the department to begin reviewing aspects of the Aged Care Act and the activities of the Aged Care Act and the activities of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency. This agency was set up in 1997 to accredit aged-care facilities.

I have already found quite a few surprises. For example, the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency has advised me that it is not an offence to mislead it. That is right: it is not an offence to mislead the accreditation agency. I find this absolutely breathtaking. How could the previous government create an accreditation body and then limit its powers? On another matter, last week I was told that a minister for ageing could not visit a nursing home without the permission of a provider or being invited. This means a minister, if they were concerned about residents or wanted to see firsthand what was going on in a facility, would have to give advance warning—

Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Clearly the member for Flinders was correct in his assertion that we are being given ministerial statements during question time. This is clearly, once again, an announcement of a review of aged care—a ministerial statement.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McMillan will resume his seat. The question was in order and the answer is in order. I call the minister.

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, I have been told that, if a minister for ageing wanted to visit a nursing home, they had to get the permission of the provider or be invited in. This means that, if a minister were concerned, they could not go to a nursing home without giving any sort of advance warning. When I approached the department about this, they were very, very surprised by this inquiry. They said this was highly unusual. Why did they say that it was unusual? The reason they said it was unusual is that previous Liberal ministers only wanted to see nice nursing homes. That is right: previous Liberal ministers only wanted to see nice nursing homes. What this shows is that the previous government was so out of touch it only wanted to see smiling faces and ribbon cuttings. That is all it wanted to see. I can tell you from my experience as a police officer that sometimes life is not just a sweet-smelling bouquet of flowers. Sometimes it is tougher. Sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves, go in there and see what is going on firsthand. But the Liberals did not do that in aged care, not at all.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Dutton interjecting

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They lost touch and they were happy not to know what was going on. This is not just good enough—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dickson is warned!

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and I intend to change that. As the Minister for Ageing, I have asked my department to urgently examine these measures and report back to fix it. For 12 long years, the Liberals did nothing in terms of aged care. It is time to change that, and that is what I intend doing.